


Closer

by nishichipsahoya



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Road Trip, Angst, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Fluff, Korean Keith (Voltron), M/M, Mutual Pining, Orphan Keith (Voltron), Slow Build, Slow Burn, Swearing, lot's of sightseeing, they go to diners and look at the stars and stuff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-07
Updated: 2018-03-06
Packaged: 2018-09-15 11:23:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9232940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nishichipsahoya/pseuds/nishichipsahoya
Summary: “Why don’t you take Keith with you?”“Fuck no!” Keith protested. “Do you honestly believe I would want to travel across the country with Lance?”Lance felt offended, although he wasn’t exactly sure why. He didn’t want to drive from New York to San Francisco with Keith, either.“Come on, it’s not like you have any other plans,” Shiro argued.“He’s gonna force me to listen to Shakira and, like, Lady GaGa!” Keith shouted at Shiro.“Hey! Lady GaGa is a legend,” Lance said. “And I’m not taking you!”“Well, what other ideas do you have, Lance?” Shiro asked.AKA, Lance needs to drive from New York City to San Francisco to see his sick grandmother, but doesn't want to make the journey alone. The only person who is able to go with him is Keith.





	1. Chapter 1

“Uno!” Pidge shouted, slamming a red six card down on the metal table.

“Damn it, Pidge, I still have like eight cards!” Lance yelled.

“Well you better get rid of them quickly,” Pidge smirked, raising an eyebrow.

“I hate this game,” Hunk said, looking down as his three cards, non of which were red or sixes. Hunk hesitently reached for the button on Pidge’s Uno Attack game. Three cards flew out of the tiny plastic machine, hitting Hunk right in the face. Hunk shrieked and attempted to block his face.

“You still scream every time,” Pidge laughed.

“This game is going to give me an anxiety attack!” Hunk yelled, collecting his new cards.

“Could you guys maybe keep it down over there?” Keith groaned from the couch.

“Oh please, you’ve literally been yelling at Shiro over wanting to play Rainbow Road for the past hour!” Lance exclaimed, turning around in his chair.

It was the first week of May, and everybody was trying to enjoy some quality time together before everybody went home for the summer. The five friends were in the basement of their student residence building, which served as a rec room. Lance, Hunk, and Pidge played Uno Attack at a circular metal table. Several feet away, Keith and Shiro sat on an old couch, playing Mario Kart on the TV mounted on the wall.

Keith sighed and turned back around to face the TV. He returned to going through the menu of different race tracks.

“We’re not doing Rainbow Road,” Shiro stated, side eyeing Keith.

“Oh fuck you,” Keith said.

Shiro and Keith’s bickering was interrupted by the sudden sound of Lance’s ringtone.

“ _I never really knew that she could dance like this. She makes a man want to speak Spanish. Como se llama—”_

“Really? Shakira?” Keith sighed. Lance glared at Keith before answering his phone.

“Hola, mama!” Lance answered the phone, getting up from the table and walking over towards the corner so he doesn’t bother the others. Hunk and Pidge took a break from their game while Lance was on the phone and decided to watch Keith and Shiro play Wii. Lance was on the phone for a good ten minutes, and nobody really understood what his conversation was about since it was mainly spoken in Spanish.

“Te amo…adiós,” Lance said, hanging up the phone.

“Was that your mom?” Hunk asked, heading back towards the table.

“Yeah…” Lance said, looking down at his phone. “Guys, I’m in deep shit.”

Hunk frowned, instantly showing concern for his friend. “Is everything okay?” he asked, approaching Lance. 

“Well, not exactly. My abuela is in the hospital,” Lance, his face frozen. “My mom wants me to go home, like, right now. And my family isn’t able to come out and help me move my stuff out and drive me back home anymore.”

“Wait, wait, _wait_ ,” Hunk started. “Don’t you live in California?”

“Yeah, San Francisco,” Lance said.

“But that’s, like, three-thousand miles from here!” Hunk exclaimed. “Your family expects you to drive that distance all by yourself?”

“Well, what else am I supposed to do?” Lance shouted, obviously panicked. “I have my car here, so I can’t exactly fly home. Plus I have all my shit I need to bring back.” Lance began pacing back and forth, trying to come up with a solution. Suddenly, his face lit up. “How about you come with me!” Lance said to Hunk, putting his hands on his best friend’s shoulders. “Come on, ol’ buddy ol’ pal!” Lance pleaded, pouting his lip. Hunk sighed.

“I’m really sorry, but I can’t. I have my last final tomorrow, and my flight back home leaves tomorrow night,” Hunk replied, feeling sorry for his friend. “I really wish I could, but I have to get back home, too.”

Lance frowned, and turned his head towards Pidge. “What about you, Pidge?” Lance asked.

“I’ve got the same final exam as Hunk” they answered, putting their Uno Attack game away. “Sorry.”

Lance really began to panic now. “Shiro?” he asked, turning his head towards the couch behind him. “Please?” He knew he sounded like a begger at this point, but what else was he supposed to do?

“God damn it!” Shiro yelled at the TV as Keith’s motorcycle passed the finish line before Shiro’s car.

_“Shiro!”_ Lance shouted, becoming extremely anxious and frustrated. He knew there would only be one other option if Shiro couldn’t make the drive with him, and he was _not_ about to accept that fate.

Shiro placed his remote beside him on the worn out couch. He turned his head towards Lance, looking pitiful. “I’m sorry, Lance, but I’m going up to Connecticut with Allura tomorrow morning.” Lance suddenly felt lightheaded, and dreaded his one other option. Before he could think of anything else, Shiro spoke up. “Why don’t you take Keith with you?”

“Fuck no!” Keith protested. “Do you honestly believe I would want to travel across the country with _Lance_?”

Lance felt offended, although he wasn’t exactly sure why. He didn’t want to drive from New York to San Francisco with Keith, either.

“Come on, it’s not like you have any other plans,” Shiro argued.

“He’s gonna force me to listen to Shakira and, like, Lady GaGa!” Keith shouted at Shiro.

“Hey! Lady GaGa is a _legend_ ,” Lance said. “And I’m not taking you!”

“Well, what other ideas do you have, Lance?” Shiro asked. “Besides, I feel like this would be a great bonding experience for you two.”

“Shiro. We’d kill each other,” Keith said.

“I highly doubt that,” Shiro said, patting Keith twice on the back. “Now go pack up.”

“Excuse me?” Keith said, standing up, fists clenched. 

“ _Go,_ ” Shiro stated, pointing towards to elevator that led to the upper floors. Keith stood in shock, not saying a word. His mouth hung open for a long five seconds or so, until he finally sighed and began marching towards the elevator.

Lance’s mouth dropped open as Keith slammed the elevator button. Lance stared at Shiro in both shock and disbelief. The elevator finally opened, and Keith stepped inside and rode it up to the tenth floor. “What the hell was that? And how did you even convince him to go?” Lance asked, still shocked.

Shiro crossed his arms and smirked. “So you’ll take Keith with you?” Lance raised his arm, pointing a finger are Shiro. His mouth opened as if to say something, but he just stood in silence before finally lowering his arm and head. “Fine,” he sighed.

________________________________

“Ooh, this is so exciting!” Hunk exclaimed, jumping up and down. He and Lance were back in their room, and Hunk insisted on helping him prepare for this unexpected cross-country trip. With Keith. Two-thousand nine-hundred fifteen miles. Lance had to travel two-thousand nine-hundred fiften miles in his blue 1996 Honda Civic with _Keith Kogane_. The very thought made him want to die. Even so, he figured it was better than making the trek by himself. Keith may be the biggest pain in the ass Lance knew, but at least he would get to sleep when it was Keith’s turn to drive.

“I’m not going on a vacation,” Lance said to his roommate. “I’m going to see my sick grandmother.”

“Yeah I know, but I’ve always wanted to pack for a road trip!” Hunk said. “I mean, I’m not going, but making sure that you’re prepared is fun!” A small smile formed on Lance’s face. He didn’t know what he did to deserve Hunk as his best friend. Hunk was always looking out for him, no matter the situation.

“Okay, so far I’ve got a flashlight, first aid kit, some duct tape, aaand and air mattress with pump for you guys,” Hunk said, setting his survival kit on the bedroom floor.

“An air mattress?” Lance asked.

“Well, _yeah_. You never know if you’re gonna get stranded and need something to sleep on for the night!” Hunk explained.

Lance blinked rapidly. “But theres only one mattress,” he said, looking up at his friend.

“Yeah, sorry, it’s all I’ve got. I think you’ll live,” Hunk said, tucking the folded up inflatable mattress into a small suitcase.

Lance sighed and continued to pack for the journey. Their college was in Manhattan, and a taxi was going to pick them up in two hours and take Lance and Keith to Lance’s family-friend’s house in Brooklyn, where his car was parked. He never really used his car since he went away to college, but his family insisted that he have it with him. So, instead of paying for a parking pass he kept his card parked behind his mom’s friend’s townhouse in Brooklyn. Hey, it beats paying.

“Aaand, that should do it!” Hunk said, zipping up the last suitcase. “I’m really gonna miss you over the Summer, dude,” Hunk said, looking fondly at Lance.

Lance smiled, getting up off the ground and walking over towards Hunk. “I’m gonna miss you too, bud,” Lance said, embracing Hunk in a hug. “But hey, we’re rooming together again in the Fall, right?”

“Oh, definitely!” Hunk replied. “Now, let’s get all this luggage downstairs before your cab arrives.” 

________________________________

Keith met Lance and Hunk in front of their apartment building ten minutes before their cab pulled up, carrying a single suitcase. When the cab arrived, Hunk help load the trunk with all their luggage, and waved goodbye to his roommate when they were packed and ready to leave. The ride to Brooklyn wasn’t a long one, but the awkward silence made it feel like it would never end.

The cab pulled up in front of the old townhouse where Lance’s car was parked, and they unloaded all their luggage. Lance paid the driver, and pulled a set of keys out of his pocket. “I’ll go pull the car out front,” Lance said to Keith, who just nodded, crossing his arms and looking at the ground. Lance walked to the back of the townhouse and inserted the key into the driver side door. _What a fucking weirdo_ , Lance thought to himself, a bit uncomfortable after that awkward exchange with Keith.

Lance got into his old car, pulling around the front of the townhouse. The two nineteen year olds loaded the trunk of Lance’s tiny Honda Civic with all their suitcases, and climbed into the car.

Lance turned the car on, plugged his phone into the aux cord, and started blasting Lady GaGa’s “Bad Romance” just to spite Keith. In an attempt to lighten the mood, Lance let out a loud “Alriiight, California, here we come!” 

And they were off.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm surprised I even finished this when I did! I'm glad people are actually enjoying this. I'm hoping to update this fic at least once a week.
> 
> Also, you can see where Lance and Keith are by clicking on the town name for a picture!

**Day 1, 7:21 PM,** [ Allamuchy, NJ ](http://www.halfmarathons.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/10518163976_871733c6f2_z-556x311.jpg) **(2,860 miles left)**

“Can we please listen to something else?” Keith moaned, slouching in the front passenger seat.

“Nope! Driver picks the music,” Lance said, leaving on his loud, upbeat pop music that Keith despised.

“ _Star ships were meant to fly. Hands up and touch the sky,_ ” the radio blasted. Keith hated Lance’s taste in music with a burning passion, and was unfortunately being forced to listen to it since he accidentally left his earbuds in his suitcase. Lance would often sing along, which made Keith want to jump out onto the interstate.

_“CAN’T STOP, ‘CAUSE WE’RE SO HIIIGH!”_ Lance belted out. _“LET’S DO THIS ONE MORE TIME.”_

“Let’s _not_ and say we did,” Keith said.

“Why are you like this?” Lance responded, his face deadpan.

“I just think it should be my turn to pick the music!” Keith said, aggravated.

“We’ve only been driving for an hour, you fucking crayon,” Lance said. Keith hesitated, debating whether or not he should even be offended that Lance just called him an item that children color with.

“What the fuck did you just call me?” Keith replied, actually confused.

“YOU HEARD ME,” Lance shouted, almost comically. Keith just stared at Lance, a bit pissed off and puzzled. He decided not to argue with him furthur, as he realized there was no point. Instead, he leaned back and tried to get some sleep, despite the harsh noise that was Lance’s music.

_______________________________________________

**Day 1, 10:56 PM,**[ DuBois, PA](http://www.duboispachamber.com/uploads/tx_frsupersized/Brady-Street-Nightlife_53.jpg) **(2,629 miles left)**

Keith was awoken by the sudden push of Lance’s fingers on his shoulder. “Get up. I’m hungry and I have to piss,” Lance said, continuing to shove his fingers into Keith’s shoulder.

Keith yawned, rubbing his barely open eyes. “Where are we?” he asked.

“Taco Bell. It’s the only place still open,” Lance replied.

“No. I mean _where_ are we?” Keith asked again.

“Some little town in Pennsylvania. Now get out of the car. I need a burrito _now_ ,” Lance said.

Keith sighed, opening the car door and stepping outside. They entered the nearly vacant Taco Bell, where only a single middle aged man sat at a table in the corner. Keith was exhausted, and knew he would be the next to drive. “Go to the bathroom. I’ll order my food and get a table,” he said. Lance shot up finger guns at Keith, then turned around the go to the men’s room. Keith rolled his eyes and walked towards the counter.

“What can I get for you?” the cashier asked Keith.

“I’ll just get a cheese quesadilla and a large iced coffee,” Keith told the cashier. His food came out pretty quickly, and Keith grabbed his tray and found a table near the window. A few minutes later, Lance strolled over to the table. He placed his tray on the table, revealing an XXL Grilled Stuft Burrito, a Double Stacked Nacho Crunch Taco, black beans and rice, a caramel apple empanada, and a large Mountain Dew Baja Blast Freeze. Keith stared at what he believed to be a buffet sized meal.

“Are you planning on farting so hard that i can climb on your back and we can just fly to California?” Keith said.

“No. And your jokes suck,” Lance said, chomping down on his burrito.

Keith scowled and sucked on his iced coffee. “Whatever. You better not stink up the car though.” Lance smirked, cheeks filled with greasy burrito.

_“I mean it,”_ Keith said. Lance swallowed his food.

“I’m just saying, I can’t help it if a little booty belch trickles out,” Lance said, trying not to laugh.

“Don’t ever say that again,” Keith said, disgusted.

“Say what?” Lance said, smirking and raising an eyebrow.

_“You’re acting like a twelve-year-old,”_ Keith said. Lance rasied his finger guns again and made a clicking sound with his mouth. Keith closed his eyes and inhaled sharply. He was too tired for this shit. He finished his coffee and quesadilla, and Lance went up to the counter to get a bag so he could bring his feast on the road.

“I’ll drive,” Keith said as they exited Taco Bell.

“Well I’m mean I was gonna eat anyway so knock yourself out,” Lance replied, climbing into the passenger seat. Keith climbed into the driver’s seat, turning the car on and plugging his phone into the aux cord. _Finally_ , he thought. He was sick of listening to the same fifteen Nicki Minaj, Beyonce, and Ke$ha songs on repeat. His music began to play as he backed the car out of the parking space.

_“Into the distance, a ribbon of black stretched to the point of no turning back.”_

“You like Pink Floyd?” Lance asked, still muching on his food. Keith shrugged his shoulders.

“No, I’m just listening to _Learning to Fly_ for my health,” Keith replied.

“Well okay then, Mr. Grumpy Gills,” Lance said, sucking on his Mountain Dew Freeze.

“You better not have to pee in like an hour. I’m not gonna stop,” Keith said, staring at Lance’s drink.

“Don’t you worry. Just drive,” Lance said as Keith drove back onto I-80.

__________________________________

**Day 2, 3:46 AM,** [ Toledo, OH ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Toledo_Ohio_skyline_at_night.jpg) **(2,364 miles left)**

“I GOTTA PEE!” Lance yelled, holding his crotch.

“Yes, you’ve been telling me that for that past forty-five minutes. And I need coffee. Looks like we’re both miserable,” Keith said angrily. “I’m gonna find us a 7-Eleven.”

“Well, hurry the fuck up,” Lance said, pain in his face. Keith exited I-80 and drove into Toledo.

“There’s gotta be a 7-Eleven somewhere in the city,” Keith said. He drove through the well lit streets of the city, searching for a place that he could buy a coffee and where Lance could pee. He finally came across a 7-Eleven and parallel parked in the street. Lance flew out of the car and ran into the convenience store.

“Do you guys have a bathroom?” Lance asked the cashier frantically. The cashier pointed to the corner of the store, and Lance darted away before they could say anything. Keith headed over towards the coffee station on the other side of the store. As he was pouring himself a large cup of hot french vanilla coffee, he started tapping his foot along to familiar tune that the radio was playing.

_“Oh, the things that you say. Is it live or just to play my worries away?”_ the popular ‘80s song quietly played from the speaker. There was nobody in the store beside Keith, who was pouring his coffee, Lance, who was taking a piss, and the half asleep cashier at the counter. Without thinking, Keith quietly started the bop his head and sing along.

_“You’re all the things I’ve got to remember,”_ Keith sang. Keith only really sang when he was alone in his bedroom. He had a decent voice, but hated to sing in front of others. Except maybe if it was four in the morning at a 7-Eleven in Toledo, Ohio.

_“You’re shying away. I’ll be coming for you anyway,”_ Keith began to sing at a normal volume.

Right before Keith sang the next line, Lance opened the door to the bathroom on the opposite side of the store. He stopped in his tracks and hid behind the door, leaving it open a crack so that he could peek out, when he saw what was going on at the coffee counter.

_“TAAAKE OOON MEEE,”_ Keith belted out. _“TAAAKE MEEE OOON.”_

_Keith can sing?!_ Lance thought to himself, secretly watching him from behind the door.

_“III’LL BEEE GOOONE IN A DAAAAAAAAY,”_ Keith sang, swaying his hips back and forth and throwing his arms in the air. Keith continued to sing the rest of the song as he poured milk and sugar into his coffee. _How the fuck can Keith sing?_ _And why does it actually look like he’s enjoying himself?_ These thoughts as well as many others raced through Lance’s mind. He caught himself staring at Keith as he swayed to the rhythm of the music, and looked away. _I never imagined Keith, of all people, to actually have a good sense of rhythm and a beautiful fucking singing voice_ , Lance thought. He decided to dismiss his thoughts and questions, and figured it would be best if Keith didn’t know he saw him. When the song was over, Lance felt it was safe to come out.

Lance finally exited the bathroom, and walked up to Keith, who was now at the counter paying for his coffee.

“Took you long enough. Did you have a nice shit?” Keith asked, smirking.

“It went very well, thanks for asking,” Lance replied, in an ‘as a matter-of-fact, yes’ tone of voice. He felt his face begin to redden, and avoided eye contact. _Why am I flustered?_ Lance asked himself. He tried to just shrug it off, and the two young men walked out of 7-Eleven.

“I’ll drive the next leg,” Lance said, approaching the driver’s side door.

“Fine by me,” Keith replied, gripping his steaming hot drink. Keith was in a much better mood than he was before they arrived at 7-Eleven, and Lance was grateful that he got to witness Keith’s secret talent.

Lance sat down and started to scroll through the various playlists on his phone. He found the one he wanted and plugged his phone in. Wham’s _Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go_ started playing through his car’s old speakers.

“Eighties music?” Keith asked. “What happened to Nicki Minaj?”

“Eh. I’m just not in the mood to listen to _Starships_ right now,” Lance replied, driving out into the city streets and leading them back to Interstate 80.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of research went into finding a real small town in Indiana that ran close to the Interstate, and yes, Jennie Rae's, the diner they'll be eating at, is a real place! Again, you can click on their location and see a picture of where they are :). I hope you guys enjoy!

**Day 2, 5:58 AM,** [ Rolling Prairie, IN ](https://68.media.tumblr.com/188057eaa5a139a00d97dfafc9bf85be/tumblr_ok0cmgYJuw1sn03clo1_1280.png) **(2,190 miles left)**

It had only been about two hours since they left that 7-Eleven in Toledo, but Lance was already starting to get hungry and tired of driving. The sun had just started to rise, _September_ by Earth, Wind  & Fire played quietly in Lance’s old Civic, and Keith was asleep in the passenger’s seat, empty 7-Eleven coffee cup in the cup holder next to him. Lance couldn’t understand how somebody could down a large cup of coffee, and pass out an hour later.

Lance hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Keith’s singing since they left Ohio. He had never really seen Keith having pure, goofy fun like that before. Not to mention, Keith’s voice sounded _angelic_ , and the way his hips swung in rhythm to the cheerful eighties tune was mesmerizing. 

_Keith looked pretty hot_ , Lance thought, before suddenly realizing that he was thinking about _Keith Kogane_ , his _rival_ , looking hot while singing and dancing along to _Take On Me_ in a 7-Eleven. He felt himself getting flustered again, and began reassuring himself that he is in no way attracted to Keith. _I’ve found a bunch of people attractive_ , Lance thought to himself. _I’ve found Allura attractive. I’ve found Shiro attractive. I’ve found random people on the streets attractive. It doesn’t mean anything._

Suddenly, Lance’s stomach began to growl. _I guess it’s not too early to stop for some breakfast,_ he thought. Lance took the next available exit off Interstate 80, and eventually found himself in a little town called Rolling Prairie. _Hopefully there’s a place that’s open_ , he thought to himself as he slowly drove around the town, searching for a place to eat. He eventually found a small, red building surrounded by a dirt parking lot. On the top of the building was a sign that read “Jennie Rae’s Restaurant”, and Lance immediately pulled his car into the nearly empty lot and parked in a vacant spot. Keith was still sound asleep, leaning against the car door.

Lance turned the car off and looked at Keith. His mouth was open slightly and his breathing was steady and relaxed. Lance reached his hand over towards Keith’s arm and gently gave it a little shove. Keith let out a soft grunt and opened his eyes slighty. “Huh?” Keith groaned, rubbing his eyes and sitting up.

“Mornin’. Figured we could stop for some breakfast,” Lance said.

“What time is it?” Keith asked, climbing out of the car.

“Six,” Lance replied, following Keith’s lead and getting out of the car. Keith just grunted and rubbed his eyes, walking towards the white door entrance. Lance hurried out of the car and followed his lead.

Keith pushed the wooden door open, and the two young men were greeted by walls heavily decorated with framed photos and tacky signs you would find in a small town gift shop. One large sign in particular read “Bob’s Bar-B-Q and Modern Motel Court.” The restaurant was scented heavily of coffee and buttermilk pancakes.

A young, blonde woman wearing an apron approached them. “Hi, welcome to Jennie Rae’s! How many?” she gushed. She had sparkling brown eyes and was wearing a subtle red lipstick. Lance felt himself becoming flustered again, and wanted to say something witty. That is, until Keith unintentionally stopped him in his tracks.

“Just us two,” Keith replied, stilling sounding groggy. The woman brought Lance and Keith to a small booth by a window and gave them their menus.

“What can I get you to drink?” she asked. Lance smiled flirtaciously, gently putting his hand against his chin.

“Well, I was gonna order a tall glass of water, but it looks like I’ve got one right here.” Keith groaned and looked away at his menu. The woman just laughed in an attempt to not appear rude.

“I’ll just have coffee, please,” Keith said.

“Alrighty, so that’ll be one water and a coffee. I’ll be right out with those!” the woman said, quickly leaving. Lance frowned, realizing what had just happened.

“Can you maybe not do that?” Keith said, still looking down at his menu.

“Do what?” Lance asked.

“Flirt with our waitress. It’s rude,” Keith said.

“Says the guy who didn’t even look at her when he ordered his drink,” Lance snapped back, but not in a way as to actually offend Keith.

“Whatever,” Keith replied.

“Aw, does somebody need his caffeine?” Lance teased, quivering his bottom lip. Before Keith could say anything, the waitress returned with their drinks

“Do you need another minute to decide?” she asked. Lance and Keith looked at each other, realizing neither of them were paying attention to the menu.

“Yes, please,” Lance said politely. The waitress left, and they began flipping through their menus.

“You better not get a burrito again,” Keith said. Lance just chucked and continued flipping through his options. When the waitress finally returned, they were ready to order.

“Alright, what can I get you boys?” she asked.

“I’ll have a Belgian waffle,” Lance and Keith both said, almost simultaneously. They turned and looked at each other.

“What the hell, man?” Lance said to Keith.

“Me? What about you, pretty boy? How did you know I was getting waffles?” Keith exclaimed.

“ _Pretty boy?_ ” Lance asked, however, not minding the fact that Keith used to word ‘pretty’ in a sentence towards him.

“Um…you know you can both get waffles, right?” the waitress asked, concerned. Lance slouched back in his cushioned booth seat.

“Okay,” he said.

“Alright, now do you want that with strawberry or blueberry sauce?” she asked, to Lance first.

“Blueberry please,” Lance answered.

“Oh, good, I wanted strawberry,” Keith said.

“Of course you do,” Lance said.

“What does that even mean?” Keith asked.

“…I’ll bring that right out,” the waitress said quietly, collecting their menus and backing away.

Lance and Keith sat in silence for a few several minutes, both of them looking down at the table.

“Bet you I can finish my waffle faster,” Lance said, looking up at Keith and breaking the silence. Keith stopped sipping his coffee and looked up at Lance.

“Is that a challenge?” Keith asked. “You’re on.”

After about another ten minutes, Lance and Keith spotted their waitress approaching the booth with their food. One Belgian waffle with blueberry sauce, and one Belgian waffle with strawberry sauce. Both topped with whipped cream. “Here you go, boys!” their waitress announced and she arrived at their booth. She went to set their plates down on the table, and Lance and Keith both grabbed their forks. “Two Belgian waffles, one with blueberries, and one with str-”, and as soon as their plates hit the table and before she could even finish her sentence, they were off. The two young men started shoveling waffle into their mouths, determined to finish before the other.

“…um. Is there anything else I can help you with today…?” the waitress asked, reluctanty. Receiving no response, she simply added “Okay…enjoy,” and walked off.

About halfway through eating his waffle, Lance started coughing on a blueberry, and unintentionally sent it flying out of his mouth. It landed on Keith’s plate, but Keith continued to shovel in his food anyway. Finally, after about four minutes of shoving waffle and strawberries down his throat, Keith finished and slammed his fork down. “I WIN.”

Lance stopped eating and looked up at Keith. “That wasn’t a fair contest! I choked!” Lance exclaimed.

“That sounds like a you problem,” Keith said as he tilted his head, smirking and crossing his arms. Lance scowled and crossed his arms back at Keith, who was contently finishing his coffee.

“Fine, you won. Let’s just head out of here and get back on the road,” Lance said, waving down their waitress. She saw Lance beckoning her over and reluctantly walked over to their booth. She saw that their plates were empty despite only receiving their food about five minutes prior.

“Was everything okay?” she asked.

“Everything was amazing, as were you,” Lance replied, resorting back to his flirtatious ways. “We’re all finished and would like our checks, please,” Lance continued, winking at the end of his statement. The waitress looked at him for a moment, looking concerned and a bit disturbed all at once.

“I’ll bring that right over,” she replied, forcing a smile as she left to print their checks. Keith looked over at Lance again, now aggravated.

“I thought I told you to stop that,” Keith said.

“What? Are you jealous or something?” Lance said, teasing Keith once again. Keith turned red, looking away.

“ _No,_ ” he insisted.

“Oh, really? I thought I was ‘pretty boy’?” Lance teased some more, getting a kick out of Keith’s embarrassment.

“ _Shut up_. I didn’t mean anything by that,” Keith claimed.

“Sure, sure,” Lance said. as their waitress returned with their checks.

“Just bring these up front when you’re done,” she said.

“Thank you very much, darling,” Lance said, taking his check.

“Have a nice day,” the waitress said before moving onto her next table. Lance and Keith headed over to the register, payed for their breakfast, and exited the small, country themed diner. Keith climbed into the driver’s side of Lance’s car, as Lance sat in the passenger’s seat. They closed their doors, and Keith started pulling out of the small, dirt parking lot. As he pulled back onto the main road, Lance started talking.

“You know, we’re only like an hour away from Chicago,” Lance stated.

“Is that so?” Keith replied, sounding uninterested.

“We should totally stop there and see what’s up. Go exploring and stuff,” Lance said, trying to convince Keith. Lance had never been to Chicago, but loved exploring new places. Especially if it was a city with lots of people.

“Maybe. Let’s see how I feel in an hour,” Keith started to tease, smirking.

“ _Rude,_ ” Lance said. “Hey, let’s put on some music.”

“You better not play trash,” Keith said.

“Nah I got you my dude,” Lance said, flipping through his music library. When suddenly, he got a brilliant idea. “I bet I can beat you in a singing competition.”

“I’m sure you could,” Keith said, trying to ignore him and focus on the road.

“Oh, come on. At least try,” Lance pestered. _You’re a genious, Lance_ , he thought to himself. If he could get Keith to agree, he would get to hear him sing again.

“This is ridiculous,” Keith kept refusing.

Ignoring him, Lance found the perfect track and plugged his phone in. The instrumental started to play, and as soon as the lyrics began, Lance starting singing as loudly and passionately as he could.

“ _Why do you build me up? Build me up? Buttercup baby just to let me down? Let me down! And mess me around…”_ Lance belted out. Keith pulled back onto Interstate 80 and picked up speed. “ _And then worst of all! Worst of all! You never call, baby, when you say you will! Say you will! But I love you still…_ ” Lance continued.

Keith shook his and kept resisting. Lance started to dance in his seat to the beat, and shoved Keith’s shoulder _“I need you! I need you! More than anyone, darlin’! You know that I have from start!”_ Lance started rolling down his window, and began singing towards the passing cars. _“So build me up! Build me up! Buttercup, don’t break my heart!”_

“ _Lance,_ ” Keith said, getting frustrated.

“Start singing and I’ll stop!” Lance exclaimed before continuing with the song.

“ _I’ll be over at ten, you told me time and again, but you’re late. I wait around and then…_ ”

“ _LANCE._ ”

Lance ignored Keith and turned the music up. “ _I went to the door, I can’t take anymore. It’s not you, you let me down again._ ” Lance increasingly got louder, hoping Keith would eventually give in. “ _BABY, BABY, TRY TO FIND. HEY, HEY, HEY! A LITTLE TIME, AND I’LL MAKE YOU MINE. HEY, HEY, HEY!_ ”

“ _I MEAN IT, LANCE,_ ” Keith yelled.

“ _I’LL BE HOME, I’LL BE BESIDE THE PHONE WAITING FOR YOU!_ ” Lance sang at top volume. “ _Ooo, oo, oooo. Ooo, oo, oooo,_ ” Lance continued, quieter, creeping up towards Keith. And, finally, Keith cracked.

“ _WHY DON’T YOU BUILD ME UP? BUILD ME UP? BUTTERCUP, BABY, JUST TO LET ME DOWN?_ ” Keith exerted his voice, sounding so amazing that Lance felt as if he was going to pass on. But, instead of dying from the sound of Keith’s angelic voice, Lance jumped back into the song with Keith.

“ _LET ME DOWN? AND MESS ME AROUND, AND THEN WORST OF ALL! WORST OF ALL! YOU NEVER CALL, BABY, WHEN YOU SAY YOU WILL…_ ” both sang, harmoniously. Keith felt off singing in front of Lance, but quickly let go of that feeling and let himself enjoy the song. And as for Lance, he was so happy to hear Keith’s beautiful singing voice again thag he could die right then and there and be content. Keith rolled down his window as well, and the two young men continued through the rest of the song, singing as loudly as they possibly could, going seventy-five miles down the interstate, headed straight for Chicago.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it took forever for me to finish this chapter! I've been extremely busy with school lately and I've been dealing with some personal stuff as well. Hopefully it won't take me this long to get chapter 5 done.

**Day 2, 7:40 AM,** [ New City, Chicago, IL](https://68.media.tumblr.com/0b00c547fc7868907278cc899b8ea66c/tumblr_okkuw1tzHZ1sn03clo1_1280.png), **(2,146 miles left)**

“Yoooooo I am PUMPED,” Lance exclaimed, jumping up and down in his seat as Keith drove up Interstate 90. There were very few clouds in the sky, and the temperature was a beautiful 65 degrees. They were driving past one of Chicago’s outer neighborhoods, New City, and Lance could see the skyline up ahead, Willis Tower protruding out between the other skyscrapers. Lance was still playing eightie’s music, and he was humming along to _You Can Call Me Al_ by Paul Simon.

“We’re about fifteen minutes away from our parking garage,” Keith said, checking the GPS on his phone.

“Cool beans,” Lance said, giving Keith two thumbs up. “We should really stop and change our clothes after we park the car. I’ve been wearing this shirt for too long and I feel gross.”

Keith couldn’t agree more. From eating at Taco Bell, to stopping at 7-Eleven and gas stations, Keith felt like his clothes were sticking to him.

“We’ll find a place with a bathroom or something once I park the car.”

**Day 2, 7:56 AM,** [ New East Side, Chicago, IL](https://68.media.tumblr.com/ed4b5e6377fd2171f36a7ff729c43044/tumblr_okm9s4zH3V1sn03clo1_1280.png), **(2,136 miles left)**

“Where the hell did you pack your clothes?” Keith asked, rummaging through the trunk of Lance’s car. Lance was wandering around by the car, anxiously ready to go explore the city, barely listening to Keith. 

“They’re in a suitcase,” Lance replied, looking over the edge of the 4th floor of the parking garage.

“Well I would _hope so_ ,” Keith said, as he looked at Lance’s five suitcases. He had already pulled a clean set of clothes out of his own suitcase, and they were waiting for Keith on the roof of Lance’s car. 

Keith finally decided to just open Lance’s suitcases and find his clothes himself. After three failed attempts, and seeing Lance’s various skin care products and absurd collection of anime DVDs, he found the suitcase with clothes. He pulled out a pair blue skinny jeans and a dark gray t-shirt with a red symbol on it that sort of looked like a cross. “Here,” Keith said, tossing Lance his clothes once he turned around.

“Sweet,” Lance said, catching his clothes. “I’ll just change in the back seat. You can change after me.”

Keith nodded his head, and Lance climbed into the back seat to change. It only took him a minute or so, and he climbed back out of the car, wearing his tight fitting jeans and casual t-shirt, complete with a pair of worn red converses. His _Fullmetal Alchemist_ t-shirt made him look a little dorky, but Keith actually thought he looked pretty cute.

Keith had always sort of found Lance attractive, despite him being a total pain in the ass at times. He just always kept that little secret to himself, considering Lance only really flirts with girls and has shown zero interest in him whatsoever. Besides, he didn’t want to be in an actual relationship with Lance anyway. He only found him pleasing to look at, and he was a nice singer.

Keith grabbed his clothes off the roof of the car and get into the back seat, shutting the door behind him. He removed his dirty clothes, a put on a pair of gray skinny jeans, a dark red tank top with a black leather jacket on top, and a pair of black combat boots. He pulled his fingerless gloves on and climbed back out of the car, where Lance was waiting.

_Damn, Keith looks good_ Lance thought when he saw Keith emerge from the back of his Honda. Leather biker jackets suited him nicely.

Keith reached into his pocket and pulled out a hair tie, pulling his mullet back into a small ponytail. _Okay, maybe it’s okay for me to think Keith is hot_ Lance thought, eyeing down Keith, admiring the way his jeans clinged to his thighs and how good his hair looked pulled back. _It doesn’t mean anything_.

“What are you looking at?” Keith asked, noticing that Lance was staring at him.

“Nothing!” Lance insisted, looking away so that Keith wouldn’t see him blush. “Let’s head out.”

**Day 2, 8:15 AM,**[ Grant Park, Chicago, IL](http://welcomeinnmanor.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/IMAG0424.jpg) **(2,137 miles left)**

Lance and Keith walked across the beige colored paving stones in the center of Grant Park, which was a convenient ten minute walk from the parking garage. The breeze was stronger, being adjacent to Lake Michigan, and Lance was bound and determined to go see Buckingham Fountain.

The fountain was right in the middle of the park, and much bigger than Keith was expecting it to be. The fountain was a three-teired, bronze colored structure that poured and spouted water from what appeared to be every nook and cranny. It was nested in a large pool of water, surrounded by green statues that appeared to resemble sea creatures of some sort.

“Come on!” Lance exclaimed excitedly when he saw the fountain. Without thinking, he grabbed Keith by the hand and began to run towards the structure. Keith was surprised by the sudden tug at his arm, but ran along with Lance anyway. There were skips in Lance’s steps, and Keith swore his smile could cure any illness. They finally reached the fountain, and Lance let go of Keith’s hand, leaning over the fence that seperated them from the pool.

Keith watched as Lance stared in awe at the running water, showcasing the purest smile Keith had ever seen. Lance had always been a very passionate person, and looked for beauty and purpose in everything he came across. Keith had always noticed this, but never really payed attention to how much _fun_ Lance actually was. He watched as Lance explored each side of the fountain, full of life and energy.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Lance said, looking over at Keith. Lance’s eyes sparkled with pure joy and fascination. The sound of running water roared from the fountain next to them, and Keith could see the Chicago skyline behind Lance, just past the trees at the edge of the park. The sight looked as if it jumped straight out of a cheesy postcard, and Keith felt as though he was about to melt.

“It sure is,” Keith replied, grinning and turning to admire the fountain. It really was a beautiful landmark, and Lance’s admiration for it made Keith appreciate it a lot more than he would if he was alone. Keith looked back at Lance, and noticed that his smile had depleted slightly. It was odd and unexpected, considering how lively he had been just a few minutes prior.

“Hey, are you okay dude?” Keith asked. Lance looked over at Keith, a bit suprised that Keith noticed his slight change in mood.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Lance said. “Let’s go for a walk.”

**Day 2, 8:50 AM,**[ Promontory Point, Chicago, IL](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5535b425e4b0159f5b58a0fb/t/55368ddbe4b0aa362eee9033/1429638626574/The+Point+chicago+sky+line.jpg?format=1500w) **(2,137 miles left)**

They decided to take an Uber down to Promontory Point, a small, man-made peninsula that jutted out into Lake Michigan. It was grassy and had a lot of walking trails, which made it the perfect location to go for a stroll. The location also offered a beautiful view of the skyline.

Lance and Keith walked the trail parallel to the water in silence, until Keith finally spoke up.

“Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?” Lance shoved his hands in his pockets and looked over at Keith.

“Nothings wrong,” he replied. Lance looked down at the ground, biting his lip.

“Well, you’re not cracking any jokes or flirting with some girl, so obviously something’s wrong,” Keith said, getting aggravated by Lance’s stubborness.

“I said I’m fine,” Lance said, raising his voice.

“You know, you don’t have to be an ass! You were the one who wanted to go to Chicago in the first place,” Keith yelled, turning to face Lance.

“Whatever,” Lance muttered, walking away towards the edge of the peninsula. Keith sighed and rolled his eyes before following Lance.

“Just tell me what’s up so we can get back to our trip,” Keith said.

“This isn’t a _trip_ ,” Lance said, turing his head towards Keith. “My grandmother is sick in the hospital, and I need to get home to see her.” Lance placed his hand on his forehead as if he had a headache. “We shouldn’t have come to Chicago. We’re wasting time. She’s probably getting worse! She’s-”

“ _Lance_ ,” Keith interupted.

“Look dude, how often do you get to travel across the country? I know you’re worried about your grandma, but maybe you should enjoy the ride while you’re on it” Keith said.

Lance huffed and shook his head, leaning himself forward against a large rock and resting his forearms on the top. “I didn’t expect you to understand.” He looked over at Keith, “it’s not like you have a family.”

Keith’s eyes widened in disbelief, before narrowing in anger. “What the fuck did you just say to me?” It took Lance a few seconds to register what he just said, and he regretted his words as soon as he saw Keith’s expression; angry and simultaneously saddened. He pushed himself up off the rock and turned to face his entire body towards Keith.

“Oh, god, dude I’m…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”

Keith stood up straight, threw his arms down, and looked Lance in the eye. “No, you’re right. I don’t have a family. My mother left when I was a baby, and my father gave me up when I was two. I was thrown into the system, and never found a family to call my own” Keith ranted. “So, no. I can’t possibly know what you’re feeling. I can’t possibly know what it feels like. So, _I’m sorry I can’t be of any help to you_.”

Lance looked at Keith, feeling nothing but remorse for what he said. Still, Keith was right about one thing. _Keith can’t possibly know what I’m feeling_ Lance thought. _Still, he was only trying to make me feel better, in his own way_.

_Sorry I can’t be of any help to you_ Lance thought, remembering Keith’s words. Then, without thinking, Lance threw himself at Keith, embracing him in a warm, meaningful hug. Keith jumped in shock, before tearing up and throwing his arms around Lance. He burrowed his face into Lance’s shoulder and allowed a couple tears to trickle out.

“I’m sorry,” Keith said, muffled, still holding tight onto Lance.

“No, i’m sorry. It was fucked up of me to say that.” Lance didn’t want to let Keith go. “Hey, let’s go somewhere you want to go. Anywhere you’d like.”

Keith sniffled, gently breaking away from their embrace. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and looked at Lance. “How about the Adler Planetarium?”

“Let’s go.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry omg
> 
> I haven't updated this fic in a legit year and I honestly have no excuse. I guess life just got in the way. Anyway, if anybody is actually still reading this, I hope you enjoy this next chapter

**Day 2, 9:51AM,** [ Adler Planetarium, Chicago, IL](https://68.media.tumblr.com/412cdc23d216e794d81560918d2baaac/tumblr_opigv0vJLE1sn03clo1_1280.png), **(2,146 miles left)**

“You know you’re a fucking nerd, right?” Lance said.

“Shut up,” Keith replied, as the two of them approached planetarium. It was a large building, with a circular base, dome ceiling, and art deco style exterior. Just like Promontory Point, the landmass that the planetarium was built on stretched out into Lake Michigan, making the historical building a popular tourist attraction and very photogenic.

When they entered the building, they were greeted by large, decorative planets hanging from the glass ceiling, groups of school children on field trips, and families visiting from everywhere in Illinois as well as the rest of the United States.

“Jesus, are they giving shit away? Why is it so crowded?” Keith mumbled.

“Hey, you were the one you wanted to come here,” Lance said, making his way towards the admissions booth. Keith cut his way through the crowd to catch up.

After waiting twenty-five minutes in line, it was finally their turn to buy tickets. “Hi, how can I help you?” the staff member asked kindly.

“How much would it cost for both of us to see the museum as well as a show?” Lance asked, pulling out his wallet. It took Keith all but two seconds to realize what Lance was intending to do.

“Dude, you really don’t need to pay for my ticket,” he said.

“No, I want to. I was a dick earlier, so I’m gonna make it up to you,” Lance replied. He turned his head back towards the counter. “Anyway, how much for two tickets plus a show?”

 

———

“Isn’t is amazing?” Lance said, admiring an exhibit showcasing different stars.

“Whose the nerd now?” Keith said, chuckling.

“Oh, be quiet,” Lance said, still smiling and admiring the different exhibits. It was strange, really. The two of them have had classes together throughout the two years they’ve been in college, and Lance hardly ever looked intrigued by the information being taught in the classroom. Yet here, he seems completely in love with learning random facts about the solar system and ogling over the constellation diagrams and interactive exhibits meant for children to jump on and touch. 

_Damn it, he’s cute_ Keith thought to himself. Seeing Lance so in love with and excited about astronomy and the galaxy made him seem even more attractive than before, his smile beaming as he ran from exhibit to exhibit, rambling on about different facts he’s was reading.

“It says here, that Hydra is the largest constellation, taking up 3.16% of the sky,” Lance exclaimed, pointing at a glowing diagram on the wall. It wasn’t until Lance turned his head towards Keith that Keith caught himself staring. He felt himself getting flustered as Lance looked towards him excitedly, and he tried to conceal the fact that he was blushing. _God, why is he so cute?_

“Oh, cool,” Keith replied, trying to sound like he wasn’t just staring at Lance for the past five minutes. “What time does the show start?”

Lance saw that Keith had been staring at him and smirked. _What was that about?_ “10:15” Lance replied. _Why was he staring at me and why did he blush when I noticed?_ Numerous questions swirled in Lance’s mind. _Why do I even care?_

“Oh damn, we should start heading over,” Keith said, checking the time on his phone.

“Yeah,” Lance said, looking dazed. Keith noticed Lance’s change in behavior and began to worry that he was anxious about his grandmother again.

“Lance, are you okay?” Keith asked. Once he heard his name, Lance snapped out of it and quickly turned his head towards Keith.

“What?” Lance said, not hearing Keith’s question.

“I asked if you were okay,” Keith repeated himself. _I don’t want to see him upset again._

“Yeah, I’m fine!” Lance said, sounding a bit _too_ perky. He threw his arm around Keith’s shoulders taking Keith by surprise. Keith’s heartbeat quickened as Lance’s arm hung over his shoulder. “Let’s go see that show!”

 

————

 

The actual planetarium part of the Adler Planetarium was large, circular theater with rows of seats underneath an enormous dome ceiling. The show was starting in just a few minutes, and the theater was almost full.

Lance and Keith walked towards the back of the theater, where there were two empty seats at the end of the isle. Lance’s arm was still resting across Keith’s shoulders, and Keith’s heartbeat continued to move at a fast pace.

The two sat down in their seats, and just moments later, the show began on the large dome above them. 

_“The night sky; both beautiful, and mysterious,”_ a voice which sounded like a British woman began to say, her voice loud and clear from the speakers. _“The subject of campfire stories, ancient myths, and more…”_ A gorgeous display of stars and asteroids moved across the ceiling, making the atmosphere in the theatre relaxed and full of wonder. The narrator’s voice was calming, and nobody in the theatre spoke.

_“Solar flares can be accompanied by a burst of high energy particles…”_ the narrator continued, already about fifteen minutes into the half hour long show. Lance descretely glanced over at Keith, who was completely absorbed in the show. His dark eyes were wide and shining from the array of constellations above, and he looked absolutely stunning. _Why do I have to find him attractive?_ Lance thought. _He pisses me off all the time._ Lance felt himself becoming flustered. _Was he staring at me earlier? Why did he blush when I looked at him?_ Lance grew more and more frustrated.

As the show continued, Keith’s arm lazily brushed against Lance’s on the arm rest their seats shared. Lance felt a wave of comfort come over him at the slight touch, but decided not to question it. Instead, he just enjoyed the remainder of the astronomy themed movie, and let the slight touch of Keith’s arm and soothing British narrator bring him to a state of peace.

———

The planetarium’s exit led directly into a gift shop, and Lance’s entire face lit up in awe just as it did earlier when running through the different exhibits. The store’s shelves were lined from floor to ceiling with astronaut ice cream, salt lamps of various sizes, pillows that looked like planets, and dozens of other overpriced merchandise. It all looked so tacky to Keith, but Lance seemed to be loving it, so he decided to just keep his opinions to himself. Lance was already grabbing various items off the shelves, and Keith chuckled to himself.

“Okay, I’m good to go!” Lance said, rushing over towards Keith, who was just awkwardly standing in the middle of the shop, not really looking at anything in particular. In his arms, Lance held a long sleeved NASA shirt, a galaxy printed Snapback, a salt lamp, a pillow that looked like the moon, and five packs of astronaut ice cream.

“I hope you weren’t planning on being able to buy food and gas any time soon” Keith said, looking at Lance’s haul.

“Oh, hush,” Lance replied. “It isn’t everyday that we get to go to Chicago.”

“None of those things even say Chicago on them.”

“Shut up.”

They got in the check out line, and Keith started to look around at the small items that were lined up near the registers. There were little bins filled with keychains, magnets, stickers, “moon rocks”, and various rings with what appeared to be birth stones on them. He remembered how Lance payed for his admission and for his ticket to see the planetarium show, and how they were only at the Adler Planetarium because Keith wanted to go. Guilt swept over him, and he felt like he should get Lance something to repay him.

_No_ , Keith thought, _I want to get him something_. _This has been a rough couple of days for Lance, and he should know that I care._

Keith began to panic, and quickly scanned his surroundings, still standing in the check out line with Lance. _Fuck. If I run off to find something for him now, it’s gonna look weird._ He continued to look around as they inched closer to the register.

“I can help who’s next!” one of the cashiers shouted, leaning over the counter and motioning for Lance to go to their register. Lance hurried over to the empty register, carrying all of his treasures. Keith followed closely behind him.

Lance placed all of his items up on the counter and the cashier began to ring him up. Lance watched the cashier closely, and Keith’s heart rate began to quicken. _Shit, what do I do? I want to get him something meaningful, but I also don’t want him to know I got him something. I want him to be surprised, but how do I get him something from the planetarium without him noticing now? Also what the fuck am I even going to get him?_

“Your total comes to $177.23,” the cashier said to Lance, placing the last of his items in a large shopping bag covered in constellations and planets.

“Shit man,” Lance said, pulling his debit card out of his wallet and shoving it into the pin pad’s chip reader. Keith felt his forehead begin to sweat. The pin pad beaped, giving Lance the signal that his transaction was approved and he could remove his card. His receipt began to print, and the cashier reached down for Lance’s bag. In a quick panic, and since neither the cashier or Lance was looking, Keith swiped one of themen’s July birthstone rings from the bin in front of him. It was a simple silver band with three small faux rubies on the exterior. He quickly shoved the ring into the pocket of his jeans.

“Enjoy the rest of your day!” the cashier said to Lance, handing him his shopping bag and receipt. Lance beamed as he grabbed his haul.

“You as well!” he said to the cashier. Keith and Lance left the gift shop, and decided that it was time to head out and grab something to eat.

_I’m a thief_ , Keith thought to himself, gripping the ring in his pocket. _This was a stupid idea_. Lance looked inside his bag and grinned as they headed towards the Adler Planetarium’s main exit. “Money well spent,” he grinned, throwing his galaxy Snapback on his head.

“You’re such a dork,” Keith said, grinning. _An adorable, hilarious dork_. Lance chuckled, giving Keith’s side a playful shove. “Let’s go grab lunch somewhere. My treat.” Keith said, smiling softly. The two pushed on the doors of the Adler Planetarium, and walked outside to a beautiful, sunny early afternoon.


End file.
